Car park fire safety design is evolving rapidly. From the Luton Airport collapse to the EV charging revolution, we explore modern car park fire engineering in the UK.. The Luton Wake Up Call The October 2023 fire at Luton Airport's multi storey car park — which caused partial structural collapse — sent shockwaves through the UK construction industry. Open Sided Car Parks Traditionally, open sided car parks have been exempt from many fire resistance requirements on the basis that natural ventilation prevents dangerous heat build up. The Problem The Luton collapse demonstrated that: Modern vehicles produce significantly more heat than the fires assumed in original design guidance Post tensioned concrete structures may be more vulnerable to fire than assumed EV fires exacerbate the problem with prolonged, high temperature burning Current Design Guidance BS 7346 7:2023 Revised guidance on smoke ventilation for car parks: Accounts for higher fire loads from modern vehicles Addresses EV fire scenarios Updated ventilation rate calculations Structural Considerations Review of structural fire resistance for car parks Particular attention to post tensioned concrete Enhanced fire testing of structural connections EV Ready Design For new car parks, we recommend: Enhanced detection in EV charging zones High pressure water mist in charging areas Structural fire resistance review for EV fire scenarios Minimum 6m spacing between EV charging points For car park fire engineering, contact us.